1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ice making system for a refrigerator and more particularly to an ice making and storage system in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator wherein an ice storage bin is mounted to a refrigerator closure member or door.
2. Description of Related Art
Automatic ice making systems for use in a home refrigerator are well known. Typically, ice making systems include an ice maker mounted within the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and an ice storage receptacle or bin supported beneath the ice maker for receiving the formed ice from the ice maker. The ice maker is commonly mounted within the freezer compartment adjacent the side or rear wall of the freezer compartment such that water and power can be readily supplied to the ice maker. The ice storage receptacle is supported by a shelf structure beneath the ice maker within the freezer compartment. The ice storage receptacle generally extends across the freezer compartment and has a front end adjacent the freezer door. U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,979, to Linstromberg et al. is an example of a prior art ice making system.
In the design of ice maker systems for refrigerators, it is recognized that a means must be provided for sensing the level of ice disposed in the ice storage bin such that ice pieces are produced when insufficient ice is in the storage bin and ice pieces are not produced when the ice storage bin is filled. U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,094, to Willis et al., discloses an ice making system having an ice maker which employs a bail arm which is periodically raised out of the ice storage bin and lowered back into the ice storage bin. If the presence of ice pieces interferes with the bail arm being lowered into the ice storage bin, the ice maker is deenergized such that more ice pieces are not produced.
As can be seen in all of the above mentioned patent references, one aspect of a conventional ice making and dispensing systems is that they occupy a relatively large amount of freezer shelf space. In particular, the ice storage bin extends across the freezer compartment and occupies a large amount of freezer compartment space. This is perceived as a disadvantage by many consumers who generally prefer to have more available shelf space. Accordingly, it would be an improvement to provide an ice making system which occupied less freezer shelf space. In particular, it would be an improvement in the art to provide an ice maker having an ice storage bin which is mounted on the freezer door rather than on a shelf type support in the freezer compartment.